Can-covering machine



May 22, 1923.

' 7 1,456,409 A. J. STEINER CAN COVERING MACHINE Fil ed March 20, 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q A 5 0 E 3 1 Q *3 fi l :QQL aa A? sa'l' fi 1 Q n Q I Q j 4 N H fig A BY WI ATTORNEY May 22, 1.923.

A. J. STEINER CAN COVERING MACHINE Filed March 120 1920 E SheetS-Shet 2' INVENTOR WITNESS:

ATTORNEY A. J. STEINER CAN COVERING MACHINE May 2-2, 1 9,23.

Filed March 20. 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 HESS:

A TORNEY Patented May 22, 1923.

ALOIS J". 'STEINER, 0F HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY.

CAN-COVERING MACHINE.

App1ication filed March 20, 1920. Serial No. 367,569.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALoIs J. STEINER, a citizen of the United States residing at Hoboken. in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented new and use-v ful Improvements in Can-Covering Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for feeding cans into position to be covered and for feeding the covers into proper relationship with the cans and for then bringing cans and covers into engagement and the principal object is to provide such a machine which shall be simple in construction and efiicient in action.

In the accompanying .drawings consisting of three sheets,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved machine.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is a top plan view.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken in line 44, of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken in line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a .topplan view with the cover feeding table removed and showing the mechanism for moving the cans into position with relation to the covers.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

The operation of the machine consists substantially in first moving the can or receptacle into position to have a cover placed thereon. then moving a cover into position to be placed on said can, then moving the can up into engagement with the cover and then releasing the can so that it may be ejected from the machine. The mechanism for these various operations will be described in order above named.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 represents the frame of the machine, Figures 1 and 2, which may be of any suitable construction to support the mechanism hereinafter described. 2 represents a power shaft which may be driven in any well known manner. Mounted on the power shaft 2 is a bevel gear 3 which meshes with a bevel gear 4, mounted on an upwardly extending shaft 5 which latter shaft has its hearings in the frame work 1 as shown in Figure 1. Secured to the shaft 5 is a sprocket wheel 6 and mounted upon a suitable support 7 is an idler sprocket 8,- Fig= ures 2 and 6, the sprocket wheels 6 and 8 being connected by a chain 9. Mounted upon chain 9 are lugs 10 spaced apart so that upon each revolution of the sprocket 6 each lug will be advanced to the position formerly occupied by the immediately-preceding lug. 11 is an apron or table which receives cans or containers from a conveyer belt 12 and on which apron the containers are presented to the chain 9 in position to be acted upon by the lugs 10. The containers or receptacles are carried along by the lugs 10 into a run-way 13 and are moved along this run-way by a finger 14 adjustably mounted on the sprocket wheel 6. The finger 14 moves the container along the runway 13 until it is on a plate 15 mounted at the top of a plunger rod 16. The finger 14 is adjustable back and forth so that in using different sized cans this finger will always place them exactly in the center of the plunger plate 15.

Turning now to the means for feeding the covers, 17, Figures 1, 2 and 4, represents a stationary bed plate and 18 is a movable bed plate which are normally pressed together. Semi-circular vertical openings in the contacting, edges of these plates register with each other so as to form a circular hole or opening of the size of the top .rim' of the container body proper. Mounted on the stationary plate 17 are tracks 19 having ways provided therein for the reciprocation of the plate 18, and also ways in which are slidably mounted two members one of which is numbered 20 and will hereinafter be called the large slide, and the other of which members is numbered 21 and will hereinafter be referred to as the small slide. Normally the two slide members 20 and 21 are in contact with each other. The contacting edges of the slides 20 and 21 are also provided with semi-circular apertures which register with each other but the circular opening 22 formed by these apertures is of a slightly larger diameter than the similar opening formed in the plates 17 and 18. this being for the accommodation of the cover which is to be placed on the container. Mounted on the large slide 20 are a pair of rods 23 which pass through the lugs 24 formed on the small slide 21 and which carry at their free ends lock nuts. 25 which may be adjusted on said rods 23 so as to give more or less lost motion between the slides on the operation of the machine. Pivoted ba d 1 portion of the cam and plate 18 is "of engagement from the plate 17 which both slide jecting from the frame of the Theother' arm of the lever carries "engagement, at each comp on one of the'track members 19 is a rock lever 26 having'one of its arms connected to the large slide and its other arm pivotally joined to one end of a pitman 27, and which pitman may be made adjustable as shown in Figure 3 if so desired. The other end of the pitman 27 is pivoted eccentrically to a cam plate 28 secured'on the upper end of shaft 5. Upon the rotation of the cam plate 28 by the shaft 5 the pitman 27 and lever 26 are recip'r'ocated thereby reciprocating the large s-lide'member 20. which moves until the lock nuts engage the lugs 24 after members move together. This leaves any desired amount of clearance between the two slide members and into this opening a can cover is dropped from conyeyer belt 29. On the return stroke the "slides close about the can cover and then move it back into register with the aperture formed in the plates 17 and 18. As the cover is gripped by the slides during this return movement it cannot dip or topple out of place when it arrives over the aperture in the plates 17 and 18.

Returning now to Figure 2 it will be seen that on the shaft 2 is mounted a cam plate 30 having a semi-circular segmental portion and 'anc am portion and that on the periphei'y of this cam plate the're rides a roller 31 carried at the lower end of the piston or plunger'16. It will be readily seen that this cam will cause at raising and lowering of the plunger 16 and plunger plate 15 thereby T raising the can or container until its upper edge protrudes through the aperture formed in plates 17 and 18 and into the an erture 22 of the slides thereby forcing the top of the can body proper into engagement with the cover.

When the can is to be ejected from the mac ine it is necessary that the plate 18 should be moved outof contact with the plate 17 in order that upon the downward movement of the can and cover the plates 17 and '18 may not strip'the cove'r from. the can, This is accomplished as follows :-the plate 28 herein before mentioned has a cam portion 32 as clearly shown in Figure 3. A roller '33 is mounted upon a lever 34 which'leveris pivoted'to a post 35 promachine. v a link 36 which is connected with the movable plate 18. Aspring 3'1 holds the roller 33 into constant contact'with the periphery of the r I cam plate '28.

The normal position is shown F.1gure3 and as the cam plate 28 isr0- "the roller '33 rides down on the lower moved out e machine'as shown is designed to feed 9 .6 an an co r and bring the two into lete revolution timing of the of the shafts 2 and 5. The

operation may be divided into four quarters.

During the first quarter of the operation roller 33 rides to the lower part of the cam plate 28 releasing the can which has had a cover placed on it during the preceding operation and at the same time the pitman 27 moves the large slide 20 far enough to release the cover. The cam 30 has moved so that the roller 31 has ridden down from the high partof the cam to the concentricpon tion thereof thereby moving down the can or container (which has been covered in the immediately preceding operation) until it is in position to be ejected or removed from the machine. During the next two quarters of the operation there is no movement either of the plate 18 or of the plunger 16 and during this time the slides 20 and 21 have been moved to position to receive a cover and then back part way with the cover. At the same time the can or container'body proper has been fed into position on the plunger plate 15. During the last quarter of the operation a cover is moved into position over the can, the plate 18 is moved into contact with the plate 17, and the plunger is operated to move the can into engagement with the cover.

While I have described what I deem to be the best embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that many of the details thereof may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention; and I do not wish' to be considered as limiting myself to the exact details of construction herein described and shown nor to anything less than the whole of my invention limited only by the appended claims.

That I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a. machine for placing covers on receptacles, the combination of a plate, means for feeding a receptacle on to said plate, means for feeding a cover over said receptacle and preventing upward movement of said cover, said means including a pair of members and lost motion means connecting said members, and means for ing said receptacle to insert its upper end into frictional engagement with said cover.

2. In a cover feeding mechanism, the combination of a pair of semi-circular feeding members, means operating said mem bers, and lost-motion connecting means between said members.

3. In a cover feeding mechanism}, the combination of a pair of semi-circular feeding members, means for operating one of said members, and lost-motion connecting means between said members whereby the member operable by the first said means may operate the other said member.

rais- I 4. In a device of the class described, the

tion of a can, a second pair of members formed so as to provide an aperture for feeding a ,cover, means for operating the said second pair of members to bring the aperture therein to register with the aperture in the first said members, lost motion connecting means between said second pair of members and means for moving the can through the aperture in the first said members and into the aperture in the second said members.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a pair of members formed so as to provide an aperture for the reception of a can, a second pair of members formed so as to provide an aperture for feeding a cover, means for operating the said second pair of members to bring the aperture therein to register with the aperture in the first members, lost motion connecting means between said second pair of members, means for moving the can through the aperture in the first said members and into the aperture in the second said members, and means for moving one of the first said members so as to provide clearance for permitting the downward movement of the can and cover.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a main driving mechanism, means operable from said driving mechanism for feeding a receptacle to position to have a cover placed thereon, means operable bv said driving mechanism for feeding a cover to a position above said-receptacle and frictionally holding said cover against upward movement, said means including a pair of semi-circular feeding members, lost motion connecting means between said members, and a cam device operable by said driving mechanism for moving said receptacle and cover into engagement.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a main driving mechanism, means operable from said driving mechanism for feeding a receptacle to position to have a cover placed thereon, means operable by said driving mechanism for feeding a cover to a position above said receptacle, said means including a pair of members, and lost motion connecting means between said members, a cam device operable by said driving mechanism for moving said receptacle and cover into engagement, a cam device operable by said driving mechanism, and mechanism operable by said cam device for permitting the receptacle and cover to be ejected.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination of a rotatable shaft, a member mounted thereon and operable thereby for feeding a receptacle to a position to have a cover placed thereon, and a second member mounted on said shaft and operable thereby for feeding a cover to register with said receptacle, said second member comprising a cam for co-action with the lever, said lever having connection with one section of a cover gripping means for moving the same upon each revolution of said second member.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

ALOIS J. STEINER. 

